Playing-ball.



No. 705,359. Patented July 22, I902.

E. KEMPSHALL.

PLAYING BALL.

(Application filed May 9, 1902) UNITED STATES PATENT Genres,

ELEAZER KEMPSHALL, OF BOSTON, MASSAOHUSETTSQ PLAYING-BALL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '7 05,359, dated July22, 1902.

Application filed'May 9, 1902. Serial No. 106640. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELEAZER KEMPSHALL, a citizen of-the United States,residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certaintnew and useful Improvements in Playing Balls, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to playingballs, and specifically toballs used in the game of golf; and its objectis to improve the flyingpower and other qualities of the ball.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is apart-sectional view of a golf-ball made in accordance with my presentimprovements, and Fig. 2 shows a fragment of a perforated metal shellcontained in the ball.

My improved ball consists, preferably, of a springy spherical filling 1,inclosed by a thin hard elastic shell 2 and a casing 3, of springyplastic material, preferably guttapercha, a thin soft-rubber layer 4intervening between the casing 3 and the thin shell 2.

I prefer to make the shell 2 of metal,al-l

though other material may be employed, and

I deem a very thin shell of tempered steel to be well suited for thepurpose. The flexibility of this hard shell may be increased byproviding the same throughout with perforations 5, thus vastlyincreasing the resiliency or flying power of the ball.

The thin layer 4: of soft rubber is intended chiefly to act as a cushionbetween the hard shell 2 and the hard casing 3, so as to diffuse.

the force of the blows upon the outer shell and save it from damage,while calling into action a larger area of the inner shell, with theefiect of increasing the energy of the ball. It will be understood thatwhen the outer shell or casing is depressed by a blow the soft rubber ofthe layer 4 is forced to flow sidewise away from the area of depression,thus not only cushioning the blow, but also calling into action a largerportion of the inner hard shell, and, further, by its own resiliencytending to restore the outer shell instantly to its nor mal sphericalshape, thereby reacting upon the club and causing the ball to springwith great energy therefrom.

Preferably the plastic shell 3 holds the interior elements of the ballunder compression, particularly the rubber facing or layer 4, audio thisinstance I illustrate the latter as integral with the core 1, said layerbeing connected to the core through the apertures 5 in the hard shell 2,as illustrated at A, or. in other words, the perforated shell 2 isembedded in a rubber sphere, the perforations being filled by thematerial of the sphere and said shell lying within the periphery of saidsphere,- so that a portion of the sphere forms a facing for the shell.

It will be understood that the outer layer 4 may be vulcanized to thecore 1 through the apertures 5 before the covering 3 is applied to theball, said core and layer being either uncured or partially cured whenassembled with the steel shell. Said layer 4 is preferably a thin skin,so that the steel shell may lie close to the periphery of the finishedgolfball, and hence eifectually'support the guttapercha cover.

It will be understood that the shock of the blow .is taken chiefly bythe hard thin shell 2, which effectually supports the gutta-percha orother plastic shell 3, so that the latter may not buckle, while theintervening layer 4 contrib'ute'sboth to the durability and resiliencyof the ball, as already explained. In order tolobtain these advantages,it is important thatsaid inner shell 2 shall lie close to the outershell 3, as illustrated, so as not to afford an opportunity for bucklingof the latter. Moreover, by making the cushioning-layer thin it becomesimpossible to effect displacement of said layer to such an extent as toburst the outer shell 3.

The principal function of the thin skin 4: is to prevent thegutta-percha shell 3 from being hammered out or peened by the blows ofthe club, the latter acting as a hammer and the hard shell 2 as ananvil. Such flattening of the shell 3 would eventually enlarge itsdiameter, so that it would become loose upon the ball; but the thin softskin at prevents this injury, besides contributing to the flying powerof the ball.

For certain games the shell 3 may be omitted, and for other games ashell of difierent material and otherwise constructed may besubstituted.

So long as a thin rubber cushioning-layer is placed between the hardinner shell 2 and the hard outer shell 3 other cores or fillings may beused, or, if desired, the core may be omitted, leaving only the thininner shell, the outer shell, and the intervening thin cushioning-layerwithin the scope of my improvements, and still other changes in detailsmay be resorted to.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A playing-ball comprising ahard thin shell provided throughout with perforations, a thin skin ofsoft rubber covering said shell, and a cover of wear-resisting materialupon said rubber layer, said hard shell being close to the periphery ofthe ball.

2. A playing-ball comprising a hard thin shell provided throughout withperforations, a thin skin of soft rubbercoveriug said shell, and acasing of gutta-percha holding said rubber layer under compression, saidhard shell being close to the periphery of the ball.

3. A playing-ball comprising a thin tempered-steel shell, a thin skin ofsoft rubber covering said shell, the latter being provided throughoutwith perforations, and a shell of gotta-percha upon said rubber layer,said steel shell being close to the periphery of the ball.

4. A playing-ball comprising a hard thin shell provided throughout withperforations; soft rubber forming a thin covering upon said shell andextending into said perforations; and a shell of gutta-percha holdingsaid rubber layer under compression.

5. A playing-ball comprising asoft-rubber sphere around which isembedded a hard perforated shell; portions of the rubber passing throughthe perforations, and the rubber also forming a facing for said shell.

6. A playing-ball comprising a soft-rubber sphere around which isembedded a thin perforated metal shell; portions of the rubber passingthrough the perforations, and the rubber also forming a facing for saidshell; all of said rubber being integral.

7. A playing-ball comprising a perforated tempered steel shell; a softrubber filling therein; and a soft-rubber facing for said shell.

8. A playing-ball comprising a thin tempered-steel shell provided withperforations; a filling therein consisting of springy solid material;and a facing or layer of soft rubber upon said shell; portions of atleast one of said filling and facing elements entering saidperforations.

9. A playing-ball comprising a soft-rubber sphere around which isembedded a hard perforated shell; portions of the rubber passing throughthe perforations, and the rubber also forming a facing for said shell;and a casing of gutta-percha upon said soft-rubber facing.

10. A playing-ball com prisinga soft-rubber sphere around which isembedded a metal perforated shell; portions of the rubber passingthrough the perforations, and the rubber also forming a facing for saidshell; and a shell of hard material holding said rubber facing undercompression.

11. Aplaying-ballcomprisingasoft-rubber sphere around which is embeddeda hard perforated shell; portions of the rubber passing through theperforations, and the rubber also forming a facing for said shell; and ashell of plastic material holding said layer under compression.

12. A playing-ball comprising a hard shell provided throughout withperforations; and springy material filling said shell and extend ingthrough said perforations and also forming a facing upon said shell;said facing being integral with the filling.

13. Aplaying-ball comprisingasoft-rubber sphere around which is embeddeda hard perforated shell; portions of the rubber passing through theperforations and also forming a facing for said shell; and a casing ofguttapercha holding said facing under compression.

14. A playing-ball comprising a sphere of soft rubber, and a perforatedmetal shell embedded around said sphere at the peripheral portionthereof.

15. Aplaying-ballcomprisingasolid sphere of soft rubber, and aperforated metal shell embedded within the surface of said sphere andclose to said surface.

ELEAZER KEMPSHALL.

Witnesses:

B. C. STICKNEY, JOHN O. SEIFERT.

